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Australia Finds 2 Objects That May Be From Missing Malaysia Airlines Plane

Australian Maritime Safety Authority Emergency Response Division General Manager John Young speaks to the media about satellite imagery of objects possibly related to the search for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 on March 20, 2014 in Canberra, Australia.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said satellites have detected two objects of significant size — about 79 feet — floating about 1,500 miles from Perth.

Australian aircraft are already searching the area. Assistance from the U.S. and New Zealand is on its way.

Although it's the most solid and credible lead so far, Abbott is still cautious.

Search teams are on their way to investigate two objects that may have come from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 after they appeared on satellite imagery, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said.

A Royal Australian Air Force plane has already arrived in the area — about 1,553 miles southwest of Perth — but so far it has only reported weather conditions, and hasn't yet seen any debris due to low visibility. Three more aircrafts and a ship that is equipped to recover debris are also en route. New Zealand and the U.S. Navy are both helping with the search effort.

A composite of two satellite images, provided by DigitalGlobe via the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) on Thursday, March 20, 2014, showing suspected debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner floating in an area 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) southwest of Perth Australia.

The two suspected pieces of debris are "reasonable in size," with the largest about 79 feet, according to Australian Maritime Safety Authority official John Young. "The objects are relatively indistinct on the imagery, but those who are experts say they're credible sightings," Young said at a press conference.

However, Young warned that it will be very difficult to find the objects because of the size of the area, but said Australia will deploy every search effort at its disposal. He added that this area is already swirling with debris from ships and other maritime trash. However, search teams will continue to search for the objects until they find them, or conclude that they are impossible to locate.

"It is probably the best lead we have right now ... but we need to get there to know if it's really meaningful or not," Young said.

Below is the most recent map from the Australian government, with the search area highlighted.

The two objects are thought to be located about 1,500 miles southwest of Perth, Australia, in the Indian Ocean.

Image: Australian Maritime Safety Authority

This map outlines the cumulative search of the larger area located in the southern Indian Ocean.

The total search detail of the southern Indian Ocean where authorities believe Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 may have crashed.

During Young's press conference, relatives of some of the missing passengers reportedly gathered around a large-screen TV at Lido Hotel in Beijing, leaning forward in their chairs and listening intently to Young, as they waited for more information. Despite this latest lead, however, Sydney Morning Herald correspondent Philip Wen says the families are still hopeful.

Many #MH370 relatives in Beijing saying they're still holding out hope. Saying nothing is certain.

Meanwhile, other family members in Kuala Lumpur, the plane's origin city, are staying in the same hotel, away from the press, as they wait for more information on the fate of their loved ones. Abbott contacted Malaysian Minister of Defense Hishammuddin Hussein shortly after finding the objects, but Hussein said they are verifying the information.

In his address earlier on Thursday, local time, Abbott cautioned that the objects may not be from the plane.

Here's the statement that Abbott gave to Parliament:

I would like to inform the House that new and credible information has come to light in relation to the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean. The Australia Maritime Safety Authority has receive information based on satellite imagery of objects possibly related to the search.

Following specialist analysis of this imagery two possible objects of the search have been identified. I can inform the House that a Royal Australian Air Force Orion has been diverted to attempt to locate the objects. This Orion is expected to arrive in the area at about this time. Three more aircraft will follow this Orion for more intensive followup search.

I’ve spoken to my Malaysian counterpart, Prime Minister Najib Razak and informed him of these developments. I should tell the House and we must keep this in mind, the task of locating these objects will be extremely difficult and it may turn out that they are not related to the search for flight MH370, but I did want to inform the house of this potentially important development.

The search area for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was expanded to nearly 3 million square miles after authorities determined that the plane turned around, and flew in the opposite direction after dropping off the radar. Following nearly two weeks into the search and no results, the leading theory is that Flight 370 was hijacked, and either crashed into the sea or landed at an unknown runway, or the plane crashed into the southern Indian Ocean, hundreds of miles off the western shore of Australia. It is now the longest disappearance in modern aviation history.

But we've been fooled by satellite imagery before. Among the most notable false leads is China's three-image array that its state-run TV station released last week, claiming that the debris was indeed part of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. However, search teams turned up nothing relevant after investigating the area.

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